As I look at our calendar, it is obvious the Lord had His hand in it. How can you explain the day we set aside to express our gratitude to God for His goodness (Thanksgiving)? 
The next major holiday on our calendar is Christmas!! This is the day we set aside to recognize and celebrate the birth of our Savior – Jesus Christ. I know you Bible scholars are already saying December 25th isn’t His real birthday – but for me and my house (and most of the civilized world) this date works just fine for us.
I understand some of you are turned off by the commercialism of Christmas, but it doesn’t bother me at all. Maybe it’s because I enjoy seeing millions and billions of people talking about my Savior’s day! Stop and think about it, what other person (living or past), what other deity commands this amount of discussion? Who else generates as much excitement and income as our Savior? That’s right – Nobody. As I reflect on the goodness of God, I am continually thankful for the numerous blessings He has showered upon me; it puts me in the mind to bless and give to someone else.
Stop and ask yourself, when was the last time you really considered the gift the Father bestowed upon us. Consider what the Father gave up – His only begotten Son. He did not have another to replace Jesus. Unlike Abraham, He did not have a ram in the bush. When He sent Jesus to the earth, the Father was without His pride and joy in heaven.
Consider what Jesus sacrificed for us. He left the glory of heaven; He left the comfort of His Father and the company of the angels. He left His rightful place – the right hand of the Father; the place of honor, the place of favor, the place of power and prestige. All to come to earth – in human form and be subjected to the ridicule, criticism, denial, betrayal and eventual torture by the very ones He was sent to save – man kind.
My friends, as we enter into this Christmas season, do all you can to embrace the wonder of our Savior. Try to spend some time listening to the lyrics Christmas songs such as, “O Holy Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing” or “Joy to the World”. When you drive down the street and see decorations and lights, try to envision the Wise Men travelling from the east and following the star that marked the Christ Child’s birth place.
Perhaps the songwriters did not have Jesus in mind when they wrote songs like: “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” or, “Tis the Season to be Jolly”. But because I know the real meaning of Christmas – those songs have a different meaning for me. When we consider the generosity of God – who else would allow people who don’t even honor Him to crash His day; when we remember how blessed we are to have a Savior who looked beyond our faults and saw our needs, when we evaluate where we would be without Jesus Christ, I believe Christmas will again be a day we all celebrate.
I am putting my shopping list together right now. I am planning on giving something pretty and elegant to my wife. I am trying to figure out what gift I can purchase for my daughters, son, parents and friends that will make their day brighter. However, in all my planning, I will never come up with a gift; I could never afford a present; I could never be as generous and thoughtful as our Lord was. Yes, I plan on having another merry Christmas!! How about you?
I bless you in the name of the Lord
Elder Eddie B Pruitte, Jr.
Pastor & Founder, Holiness Tabernacle COGIC